I've seen a lot of really good restores on this forum and could use some advice.
Thin Blue Smoke (TBS) recently helped me check one off my wish list:
http://weberkettleclub.com/forums/trading-post/like-new-fire-pit-highland-park-il/msg70269/#msg70269Although it's not technically a kettle cooker, it is a kettle.
Here's a pic of the fire pit in his back yard:
TBS broke it down:
TBS boxed it and shipped it:
TBS did a great job packing it, using pipe insulation around the rim of the bowl and lid:
Here is everything unboxed:
We've had a lot of rain in the DC area the last few days but I was able to give it an initial clean this morning. Here's the bowl:
And the lid:
The heat shield:
Here's where I need advice. There is some rusting on the legs, rings, and ring supports:
The Craig's List posting stated that the pit had only been used once, which after the cleaning, I find hard to believe or they just neglected the hell out of it, but for $40 I can't complain too much.
While I don't expect to get the metal pieces (legs, rings, ring support, and heat deflector) looking brand new, I'd like to get the rust and grime off. I have a Dremel and grinder (probably too much for this job though) which I can use to take off the rust, but what should I use to prevent any further rusting?
Should I get some exterior aluminum paint to cover the metal pieces or should I just use some clear Rustoleum to seal the pieces? Will the Rustoleum stand up to the heat?
There are also some chips on and around the rim of the lid. Should I paint over these with high heat enamel grill paint?
The fiber washers are shot so I'm going to have to order some from Weber CS. I may just order a whole new hardware pack.
Anyway, this is my first restore and I plan to have a lot of fun with it. Any words of wisdom you'd like to share would be much appreciated and I'd like to thank Thin Blue Smoke for giving me this great project to work on.
I'll send more pics as I continue the restoration.